Bandari FC were disappointment after they failed to secure a victory against Bidco United in a Kenya Premier League match at Mombasa Sports Club that ended in a 1-1 draw.
The weekend headliner was highly anticipated as the Dockers sought revenge after Bidco United emerged victorious against them with a 2-0 win in the first-leg match.
Captain Andrew Juma gave Bandari FC the lead just one minute before the end of the first half. He displayed his aerial prowess by heading home a powerful header from William Wadri’s corner kick.
However, Bidco United fought back strongly in the second half, with Emmanuel Mogaka equalising for the visitors from the penalty spot at the top of the hour mark after defender Dan Guya was fouled in Bandari’s 18-yard area.
This result marks the second consecutive game in which Bandari FC has failed to secure a win, following their recent victory over league leaders Gor Mahia with a 1-0 scoreline.
The John Baraza-led side has slipped from second position to third in the league standings, accumulating 44 points from 26 games. At the same time, Bidco United climbed up to the ninth position, having played the same number of games and amassing 34 points.
In a post-match interview, Bandari’s Tactician, John Baraza, said he had expected a tough duel against their opponent.“We expected the game to be tough as we know that their main aim was to secure a draw. Looking at their last five games, they have had 4 draws, so for them, it is an achievement,” said Baraza.
The tactician expressed concern over his team’s finishing, stating, “We should improve our finishing. In the last match against Ulinzi, we had numerous chances but failed to capitalise on any. As a result, we lost. Today, the same thing happened and we drew. So, we’ll focus more on our finishing in training to win our next match.
Bidco United’s Head Coach, Anthony Akhulia, lauded the efforts of his team’s performance following the hard-fought draw against Bandari FC
“We had a good game; Bandari was better in the second half. We have beaten them at our home and we aimed to secure a point away, which we succeeded in doing, so we are happy,” said Akhulia.
Bandari is preparing to face KCB in their next match, while Bidco will take on Posta Rangers.
By Abdulrahman Allui
